One of the United States’ most storied space launch sites has been cleared of its decades-old support towers, making way for modern rockets to use the pad. Space Launch Complex-6 (SLC-6) at Vandenberg Space Force Station is arguably better known for what did not lift off from there than for what did.

A series of demolition charges on Tuesday brought down the access tower, mobile service tower, and what remained of the assembly building at SLC-6. Once the location for the US Air Force’s first effort to put humans into space and later, the West Coast launch site for the space shuttle, SLC-6 will next be used by SpaceX in support of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy missions.

‘Space Launch Complex-6 represents six decades of American innovation and our unwavering commitment to securing space superiority,’ Col. James T. Horne III, commander of Space Launch Delta 30 at Vandenberg, said in a statement. ‘By modernizing this historic footprint in partnership with our defense industrial base, we are building directly upon the foundation of our pioneers.’

The demolition was known to be planned but was only announced hours after it was completed at 11 am PDT on Tuesday. The detonations brought down the access tower first, followed by the mobile service tower and then the large American flag-adorned assembly building. Typical of Vandenberg weather, a marine layer of low clouds and fog added a somber look to the scene.

Have pad, will not launch. SLC-6 was first developed in 1966 to support the Air Force’s first effort to send astronauts into Earth orbit to conduct reconnaissance using a vehicle and hardware adapted from NASA’s Project Gemini. The site's mobile service tower and concrete apron were built for the Titan IIIM modified missile, but the program was canceled in June 1969 before any launches from SLC-6 could be conducted.